New Director Named for Regional Sustainable Agriculture Program
Rhonda Miller
Rhonda Miller learned the importance of sustainable agriculture on the farm where she grew up, long before she made agriculture the focus of her research and career. Miller now brings her experience and training to her new post as coordinator of Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, based at Utah State University.
“I was raised on a family farm where my father deeply ingrained the concern and passion for sustainability in me,” Miller said. “As a faculty member, my research and Extension activities exemplify my desire to enhance agriculture and protect the environment.”
Miller, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and USU Extension agricultural environmental quality specialist, succeeds the program’s current regional coordinator Teryl Roper, who has chosen to resume his teaching and research activities in plant science.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides competitive grants that support work conducted cooperatively by farmers, ranchers, researchers and agricultural professionals to advance farm and ranch systems that are environmentally sound, profitable and good for communities. It also provides education outreach to people in agriculture throughout the region and facilitates sharing information.
SARE’s western region is the program’s largest in area and the most diverse in terms of climate and geography. It encompasses 13 western states and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia and the Northern Marianas Islands.
In the more than 25 years since its inception, Western SARE has grown into a thriving program that has distributed more than $80 million throughout the vast and diverse western region.
“I look forward to advancing SARE’s mission as the Western Regional coordinator to improve agriculture’s profitability, stewardship and quality of life,” Miller said.
The list of her publications illustrates the range of Miller’s work, which will serve her well in working with people throughout the region. Her research focus has largely been on issues of animal waste management, water quality and air quality, but she has also published papers on farm safety for people with chronic health conditions and directed a statewide program that assists farmers and ranchers with physical disabilities. She also serves as an agricultural liaison for many state committees and actively works to help agriculture remain economically viable while preserving the environment.
Related links:
USU College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Contact: Rhonda Miller, 435-797-3772, Rhonda.Miller@usu.edu
Writer: Lynnette Harris, 435-797-2189, Lynnette.Harris@usu.edu
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